Thunderstorms and Tornadoes

Question 1

Supercell

Answer 1

a severe thunderstorm with one violently rotating updraft that can last for over an hour, producing very severe weather

Question 2

Squall line

Answer 2

where severe thunderstorms are most likely to form

Question 3

Dryline

Answer 3

cP, mT, and cT air masses meet; sharp, horizontal changes in moisture; unstable air because of hot/dry air and moist air

Question 4

Gust front

Answer 4

leading edge of cold air from a downdraft; reaches the surface and spreads in all directions; wind rapidly changes direction and speed here

Question 5

Wall cloud

Answer 5

lowering cloud extending out of the main large thunderstorm; rain-free; tornados usually form here

Question 6

Shelf cloud

Answer 6

can form as warm moist air rises above the front edge of a gust front

Question 7

Roll cloud

Answer 7

forms just behind the gust front and appears to slowly spin

Question 8

Mammatus clouds

Answer 8

puffy on to and bottom from strong updrafts and downdrafts

Question 9

Hail

Answer 9

forms as strong updrafts lift cloud droplets into the freezing zone over and over, until hail is too heavy for the updraft to hold

Question 10

Microburst

Answer 10

a localized column of sinking air (downdraft) within a thunderstorm and is usually less than 2.5 mi in diameter

Question 11

Lightning

Answer 11

discharge of electricity in mature storms (wiithin cloud, cloud to cloud, cloud to ground, cloud to air)

Question 12

Thunder

Answer 12

explosive expansion of air due to heat from lightning creates sonic boom

Question 13

Tornado

Answer 13

rapidly rotating column of air that blows around a small area of intense low pressure with a circulation that reaches the ground; know 4 stages

Question 14

Funnel cloud

Answer 14

Doesn’t reach the ground

Question 15

Tornado Alley

Answer 15

greatest #; Central Plains stretching from Texas to Nebraska

Question 16

Tornado outbreak

Answer 16

more than 6 tornadoes form over a particular region from the same weather system

Question 17

Tornado family

Answer 17

tornadoes that form from the same thunderstorm; most deadly

Question 18

Enhanced Fujita Scale

Answer 18

Based on the damage caused by a storm; 6 categories EF0-EF5

Question 19

Multi-vortex tornadoes

Answer 19

strong tornadoes containing smaller whirls rotating in them

Question 20

Suction vortices

Answer 20

small whirls

Question 21

Tornado watch

Answer 21

a tornado is expected within a few hours

Question 22

Tornado warning

Answer 22

a tornado is spotted OR a radar image shows a suspected one

Question 23

Velocity couplet/Tornado vortex signature

Answer 23

shows wind direction: red and green shown together in a radar indicates a possible tornado

Question 24

Hook echo

Answer 24

precipitation within a supercell creates a hook shape; debris balls are debris detected on radar screen